Open Hands, Full Hearts

Introduction: Good evening guys, welcome to our study tonight. Let’s do some introductions- tell us your name and something that you have been attached to (let me explain what I mean).

Explain: All of us get attached to stuff at times- e.g. houses, vehicles, job/career, clothing brands, favorite foods, money/finances/401K’s, etc...

Have you ever had anything you were really, really attached to?

Have you ever lost something you were really attached to? Or afraid of losing something you were attached to? If you have, what does it do to you when you love something so much, or are attached to something so much, that you don’t want to lose it?

That love or attachment can create a sense of fear, worry, anxiety about losing it. The text we’ll look at tonight will help us to rethink how we view or use our stuff. Luke 12:22-34

RECAP: We’re in a series called SHIFT. It’s about how we need to renew our minds so that we are transformed in how we view and use what God has given to us- time, talent, treasure, testimony. The point of this lesson is to think differently about our lives, and the part that our wealth (aka stuff) plays in our lives, so that we can live with an open hand (hold our stuff in an open hand) and hold heaven in our hearts.

We’re going to read vss. 22-34 for context, but key in on vss. 31-34. (volunteer for 22-28, 29-34)

Luke 12:22–34, 22 Then He said to His disciples, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. 23 Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. 24 Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds? 25 And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? 26 If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest? 27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28 If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith?

29 “And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. 30 For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. 31 But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.

32 “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

1. The COMMAND from Jesus. Vss. 22-23

What is the command that Jesus gives here? (don’t worry about your life- what you will eat; don’t worry about the body- what you will wear)

Why does Jesus give this command? (life is more than food; body is more than clothing)

When we think about life, our lives, what are the things that make up our lives?

When we think the body, what makes up that part of us?

What are the reasons people might worry about these things? (they have too little, or too much)

How much is too much? (a rich person might say, just a little more)

It think it’s beneficial to know that these verses follow a section about riches (vss. 13-21). A man said to Jesus “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” To which Jesus replies that he is not a judge or an arbitrator of their case. Then he gives this warning- “beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.” Then he told them a parable about a rich man whose fields produced such a large harvest that he didn’t have room to store all the crops. So, he decided to tear down his old barns and build newer, bigger, and better barns where he could store all his crops and goods, and not work anymore, but take it easy, eat, drink, and be merry. Vs. 20, But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ The moral of the parable is what Jesus says in vs. 21, “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

How would you compare/contrast that teaching with this? If that teaching was about someone who was rich and had an abundance of stuff, who is this teaching directed to?

What do you think Jesus means by not worrying about your life (food), or body (clothing)? Surely he doesn’t mean to not work? Or, not wear clothing? NO- so if not that, then what?

2. Two CONSIDERATIONS from Jesus. Vss. 24-28.

Jesus gives us two examples to consider, what are they? (Ravens & lilies, or birds & wildflowers)

What does he tell us about the ravens? (birds don’t sow or reap, or store goods, God feeds them)

What does he tell us about the lilies? (flowers don’t work or spin thread, but God cares for them)

There’s additional teaching on both these examples:

vss. 25-26, How does worrying about one’s height (or life span) factor into how we should view God providing for us?

vss. 27-28, How does the illustration about Solomon factor into God’s care for flowers?

How does God’s provision and care for both birds and flowers relate to us? (He feeds the birds and we are more valuable than birds; He clothes the grass, how much more will he do for us)

How does FAITH factor into Jesus’ teaching here? (trusting that God will provide for us because He cares for us should help alleviate worry and anxiety about food and clothing)

3. A CONTRAST from Jesus. Vss. 29-34

What is the contrast(s) that Jesus sets up in vss. 29-31?

Nations (Gentiles)- a collective term referring to people groups that do not trust in God or Jesus

How does knowing that God knows what you need help alleviate anxiety and worry?

What relation is there between seeking God’s kingdom and having your earthly needs met?

What term of endearment does Jesus use to describe his disciples? How does that title compare to birds or to flowers? vs. 32.

What does God delight in giving to His people? What should our response be to that reality? Vss. 33-34

We are using the word “treasure” in a generic sense to talk about all wealth- money, possessions, luxuries, and our attitudes towards those things. It might surprise you that Jesus says MORE about our treasure than any other subject, including heaven and hell.

“To underscore how important the subject of money and possessions is to God, sixteen of Christ’s thirty-eight parables speak about how people should handle earthly treasure. In fact, our Lord taught more about such stewardship (one out of every ten verses in the Gospels) than about heaven and hell combined. The entire Bible contains more than two thousand references to wealth and property, twice as many as the total references to faith and prayer. What we do with the things God has given us is very important to Him” (John MacArthur, Whose Money is it Anyway?).

Godly stewardship of our wealth and finances is important because we invest so much of our lives in exchange for it. In a related text, Jesus said, “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matt 6:21). In a very real sense, our treasure represents who we are. Since we are talking about stewardship in this series (e.g. time, talent, etc) we must learn to manage our treasure too.

And I’m not talking about budgeting, saving, retirement, that’s part of it, but not all of it. Let’s read a few verses & close out our time in application and response:

Luke 16:10–12, He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. 11 Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? 12 And if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is your own?”

What does this tell you about our treasure? (learn faithfulness to receive more from God)

Let’s talk about some practical application about how to be faithful with what God has given to us so that we can receive true riches (i.e. store up treasure in heaven).

1) ways to serve people through giving

2) how to store up treasure in heaven

Ultimately, we must learn to manage our treasure (wealth) in such a way that we love God and not money (1 Tim 6:10), serve God and not money (Matt 6:24), and live willing to give it all away (Mark 10:17-22). We want to hold our wealth with an open hand and hold onto heaven with our hearts.